30 WAITAKI HERALD, JULY 16, 2014 CLASSIFIED WANTED TO BUY GOLD&SILVER OLD gold and silver, coins, jewellery and gold fill. Best prices paid. Also stamps, postcards and antique items. Arrange a confidential visit today. Ph 027 254 5444. POSSUM FUR HOT plucked and machine plucked, premium prices for quality and quantity POA. Also selling traps. Ph Ron & Pam (03) 686 0541 or www.dawsonfurs.co.nz POSSUM FUR: Top prices paid. Mulcahy Wool Merchants, phone work 684 7665, Barry’s cell 027 485 8394, deliver Mulcahy Wool Store, Main South Road, Timaru. GARDENING, PLANTS PEASTRAW CHEAP Medium square bails $40 (equal to 12 small bails). Phone 027 205 2100. SEED Potatoes, Govt. certified, early varieties. Selling at Oamaru Farmers Market on Sunday. Ph: 0274 320667 for orders. Cherokee: Square-rigged and not that tall, this most popular of Jeeps will show up any SUV you care to name in off-road situations. could have two identical Jeep Cherokees owned by neighbours, one of which would defend theirs to the hilt for trustworthiness and dependability, while the other would be pulling his or her hair out with sheer frustration. If that sounds like a warning, well it is – sort of. Used car specialist and former Top Gear guy Quentin Willson worshipped his own Jeep Cherokee and rated it one of the best cars he’s ever known, while my mate Gerry says the only reason I haven’t done a ‘‘how to buy’’ story on the truck is because I wouldn’t have space to recount all the things that went wrong with his. Gerry’s hasn’t done much mileage – just 75,000 kilometres in 21 years, and from talking to owners we reckon once these jeeps get beyond a certain point – which we reckon is around 120,000km, most that can go wrong has gone wrong, and once fixed will give good reliable service, but don’t mark my words on that, whatever you do. With a rim-in-lap driving position redolent of the World War II John Wayne Jeep, the Cherokee is an easy vehicle to get familiar with, even if everything is a bit of a scatter and while the dash, console, gear-shift and even the steering wheel look a little tacky and low-rent, a few minutes in a 322,000km example last week tell me that the interior will last, albeit in a well-worn state. Front room is good and comfortable, while rear space is only average – about the same as a CR-V or RAV-4 – which for a 4.0-litre wagon is not great. The rear load space will take a bashing, though it’s not huge, and most older Jeeps’ load areas gain pieces of old lounge carpet to stop the dogs and equipment from sliding about. The 1993 to 2001 Cherokee we’re looking at was available with an injected 4.0-litre inline overhead-valve six, or a 2.5-litre turbodiesel four. Most Jeeps of this vintage had four-speed automatics, with manual The wheel deal B ack in the darker days of Chrysler’s hard-fought battle with reliability, build quality and consistency, you versions of the diesel being more numerous than petrol offerings. Both engines cruise with little effort at 100kmh. Sport and Limited versions of the Jeep were available, with the Sport featuring cloth and vinyl trim, airconditioning and steel rims (albeit very smart ones) and the Limited adding multispoke alloy rims, leather trim and a higherend stereo, though some of the tan leather and vinyl matches weren’t very convincing. There are plenty of Jeep Cherokees around, many of them highly personalised by backcountry explorers and hunters. As long as they have plenty of paperwork and you’re not just using the truck for commuting, these are usually cheaper than those which have spent most of the time on the road. STRENGTHS You can work on these cars yourself and while the suspension and running gear can give problems, according to US and UK warranty people, there are plenty of specialists online and in the flesh to offer advice and tips. The car never looks out of place and among seriously large- profiled SUVs like Prados, Defenders, Pajeros and Patrols, it looks almost restrained by comparison, despite having more off-road talent than any of them. They’re cheap as chips to buy, and there are plenty to choose from on myriad budgets. BEST TO BUY A good clean example with either engine would be our preference in Sport specification too as, while the posher Limited has its cosmetic appeal, driving it in the dirt feels like you’re wearing your best suit instead of the camo gear you should be in. However, if you’re on the school run (what a waste) maybe that’s what you want. WEAK POINTS There have been various recalls over the WAIPOPO RHODO’S and Peonies. Open Weekends only 10am to 4.30pm. Barrett Road, Seadown, ph 03 615 7297. Reach THE Dig deep and do your research and your 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokee could be the truck to outlast you. If you don’t however, it could be a pig in a poke. years, with the handbrake causing problems in 1996, the driver’s airbag getting a tug in 1995 and in 2000 a computer model problem made some models’ airbags to misfire without needing to crash first. Check the paperwork to see that these items have been checked/ fixed. YOU’LL HAVE TO LIVE WITH Cramped rear seating; low rent plastics; even lower rent leather and ‘‘luxury’’ finish. Thirsty petrol six and noisy turbodiesel. WHAT TO PAY Amazingly, we saw a mid-1995 4-litre automatic with 240,000km clocked, for $1000. That might be a little cheap for comfort and was not endowed with much in the way of service history, but for a grand or two more, we could pick up several with less than 200,000km and judging by their online profiles, in pretty good nick. The best petrol model we saw was 1998 dealer car on 115,000km for $6500, while a turbodiesel manual from 2000 was priced at $5750 with 180,000km. WHAT DO THEY COST TO RUN? While the six is a pretty thirsty unit – you’ll have to work hard to get better than 12.5L/100km – the turbodiesel is a good alternative, requiring less than 8.5L for the same distance overall and we think it’s a better bet for off-roading too. Both engines tow easily, but again expect to use a lot more juice if it’s a heavy trailer, boat or horsebox. BUT WAIT If you really need to go off-road every weekend, a late 80s Prado, Patrol or Defender might be worth considering, but the first two will be more expensive, while the latter will require even more attention than the Jeep. ADVERTISING PHONE 03 687 1395 Waitaki Herald market BIG SITUATIONS VACANT Cleaner We are looking for a reliable & capable person to clean our rooms approx. 10 hours per week. Must be able to work school holidays and one day of the weekend. Please email or post your application to Oamaru Bridge Club PO Box 272, Oamaru bridgeclub@xtra.co.nz FOR SALE FIREWOOD: 41 ⁄2 metres split Pine, cut to your fire. $180 delivered. Phone (03) 439 4871 SPIT-ROAST catering by Spit Roast Affair. We come to you. Phone (03) 688 8601 or 0272 999 836. Parents Centre Oamaru Baby Gear Market Saturday 19th July 1 - 4pm Eveline Hall TRADES AND SERVICES HAIRDRESSER Chrissy's Salon in Maheno Your place or mine. Ph: 4395 054 or 0211700348 ROOF Maintenance: Moss kills, roof repairs / repaints. Spraymaster 027 433 7780 / ah 03 688 5347 SUN CONTROL Window Tinting: UV fade, privacy & glare. 0800 TINTER (846 837). Member of Master Tinters. TINT-A-WINDOW UV fade, glare, heat control, privacy safety frosted film Free quotes, 0800 368 468 www.tintawindow.co.nz HYPNOTHERAPY HYPNOTHERAPY for confidence, stop smoking, anxiety and so much more. Google Gaye McBride Hypnosis 021 1109 663. FARMSERVICES AVAILABLE FENCING Contractor Andrew Couper, specialist in all rural fencing and stock yards. All areas. Quotes available. Phone Sth Cant (03) 689 6364 or Nrth Otago (03) 437 0802 or 027 2565199. ACCOMMODATION HOLIDAY HOLIDAY accommodation available Moeraki. Contact tuffey@gmail.com Waitaki Herald CLASSIFIED PHONE 0800 100 129 SITUATIONS VACANT Housemaid / Reception A Housemaid/Reception Position has become available at the Oamaru Top10 Holiday park. This is a permanent multi-tasking position cleaning accommodation and Reception duties. Must be available to work mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends and school holidays. Email CV to info@oamarutop10.co.nz or deliver to Oamaru Top 10 Holiday Park, 30 Chelmer St, Oamaru. Closes 21 July 2014 6187391AA 5772948AA 6194861AA 5773024AA 6193115AA